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Entries from August 2013

August 29, 2013

The Supreme Court of Virginia issued its decision last Friday in the case of Susan Mills vs. the Board of Supervisors of the County of Henrico. This case began in 2011, when the county issued a notice of zoning violation, and finally Susan has prevailed before the Commonwealth’s highest court. The Richmond SPCA was with her every step of the way in this journey for justice.

The ruling was reported in the Richmond Times-Dispatch last Saturday, and we share the hopes expressed by Susan’s attorney Will Shewmake, who was quoted in the story. He said, “In light of the court’s ruling and finding the notice of zoning violation was overbroad, we’re hoping that this ends the issue.”

However, another statement in the article attributed to Henrico officials needs to be addressed: “Henrico officials said Susan Mills of the Laurel Pines subdivision was feeding seven feral cats and there were complaints from neighbors, two of whom were bitten and required inoculations.” This brief paragraph leads the reader to the conclusion that there is a cause and effect relationship between Susan’s responsible care for feral cats and the neighbors who were bitten. In fact, the opposite is true. The cat that inflicted the bite was not one of the small group being cared for by Susan, as those cats have been spayed or neutered and vaccinated against rabies. If her neighbors fully understood the rabies issue, they should be praising Susan’s efforts rather than making complaints against her. And in fairness, many residents in Laurel Pines have supported Susan’s care for the neighborhood cats. Only a vocal minority have tried to disrupt her feeding of the cats she trapped, neutered, vaccinated and returned to the community they knew as home.

Misunderstanding of the rabies virus in cats is common, and those who care for community cats often face critics who argue against humane management of the cats on the basis of preventing the spread of rabies. In reality, TNR is the only solution that addresses concerns about this disease.

These pervasive myths about rabies are the focus of a presentation at our Robins-Starr Humane Center next Friday, Sept. 6, at noon. We are delighted to offer a “Lunch & Learn” seminar with special guests Peter J. Wolf, national feral cat expert who will speak on the topic of rabies, and Will Shewmake, of LeClairRyan, who will remark on the Supreme Court case and its ruling. We encourage both avid community cat advocates and those new to the concept of TNR alike to bring their lunches and hear from Peter and Will. There is no cost to attend. The Richmond SPCA will provide drinks. Please RSVP for this event on our website: www.richmondspca.org/feral_seminar.

Related: Peter Wolf has an announcement on his blog, Vox Felina, to support our Henrico Feral Defense Fund.

Tabitha Frizzell Hanes is the director of advancement for the Richmond SPCA. To read the biographies of our regular bloggers, please click here. Before posting a comment, please review our comment guidelines. Please note that our comment policy requires a first and last name to be used as your screen name.

August 27, 2013

We had an amazing week at our humane center with 95 adoptions! Our adoption counselors found loving homes for 72 cats and 23 dogs. Our goal is to find homes for 97 orphaned animals this week. You can help spread the word about our available pets and lifesaving work by "liking" and sharing our social media posts on Facebook and tumblr. You can also follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

Amazing Raise

This year we're participating in the Amazing Raise again and we need your help! The most watched, shared and liked video will win the $1,500 "Viral Video" prize. We'd love to win this prize for homeless pets and can't do it without you!

Diego, a 3-year-old flat-coated retriever mix, found a loving family after visiting our friends at WRIC 8 and NBC12. Jebediah made lots of friends when he visited Lite98. Pedro was a huge hit with the staff at KLR 96.5.

Interested in adopting a pet from the Richmond SPCA?

Our adoption center is open every day of the week: Monday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Friday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday noon to 5 p.m. Visit our website to see some of our dogs and cats currently available for adoption, for directions to our Robins-Starr Humane Center, to view the programs and services we offer, and more.

Match Finder tool

If you have not seen the pet you’re looking for among the cats and dogs currently listed on our website, we recommend that you try our free Match Finder tool. This online tool is designed to help you find your new best friend by automatically emailing you when a pet matching your desired criteria is available. If you have any questions, please contact our amazing adoption team at 804-521-1307.

Offsite adoptions

In addition to having many wonderful cats at our humane center, we also have several felines at two PETCO locations in the Richmond area - Short Pump and Carytown. We also have cats available for adoption at the Children's Museum of Richmond - Chesterfield. If you would like to learn more about these felines or set up an appointment to meet them in person, please call our adoption team at 804-521-1307.

Adoption specials

Since our "Take Two" adoption promotion was so successful in July, we decided to extend it through the end of August! You can adopt any two felines for the price of one! You can view a list of our currently available cats here.

Alumni updates

Our staff and volunteers love to know what our precious adoptees are up to, so please keep us posted! If you would like to share a picture or story of your adopted pet, please send us an email. If you would like to see your pet featured on one of our social media sites, please tell us in your message that we may share your update.

August 26, 2013

There surely could be no better news that I could have received than the news that the cats had won. When I saw the message telling me that the Virginia Supreme Court had found in favor of Susan Mills and against the overbearing conduct of Henrico County with regard to community cats, I was thrilled and grateful. While the cats have been greatly helped by Susan as well as by the Richmond SPCA and their wonderful attorneys, Jack Robb and Will Shewmake of the law firm of LeClair Ryan, the success really belongs to the cats and to the powerful ethics of respect for the value of their lives and those of other creatures.

Susan Mills says she began feeding neighborhood cats when she first moved into her home in the Laurel Pines subdivision more than 30 years ago.

We all hope that the County will not pursue any new efforts to further persecute or threaten Susan or the cats that she has treated lovingly and responsibly for so many years. Everyone should learn to care for the animals with which we share our world in the dedicated way that Susan has done.

I could never adequately thank Will Shewmake and Jack Robb who have generously given their time, energy, professional expertise and moral support to Susan and to the Richmond SPCA to help us to protect the cats. We also are deeply grateful for the thoughtful opinion which supported a broader approach to the issue written by Justice William Mims and to Alton Wright of the Henrico Board of Zoning Appeals who made clear from his observations, and predicted at the BZA hearing, that the County's actions against Susan Mills were ill advised. I am also so thankful to our wonderful Board members who were willing to stick with our support for Susan's case throughout all of its stages because they knew it was the right thing to do.

Our greatest thanks of all goes to Susan Mills who has not only cared for and loved these cats for many years but who was willing to stand up courageously to the County for them. Together, as a team with Will and Jack, we showed that we can give animals the voice they deserve. It is wonderful to know that the voice we gave them was truly heard. Henrico could not tell us not to care.

Robin Robertson Starr is the chief executive officer of the Richmond SPCA. To read her biography or that of our other bloggers, please click here. Before posting a comment, please review our comment guidelines. Please note that our comment policy requires both your first and last name to be used as your screen name.

August 24, 2013

This week was full of new experiences and learning for the kids in our Kids & K9s camp! This camp for rising sixth to ninth graders focuses on learning about reward-based training and teaching camper's dogs new skills and tricks. This week we had two sessions of this camp, each with 6 campers and 6 dogs.

On the first day of camp, each dog stays at home while the campers start their first day at camp to learn all about clicker training and using rewards to help teach canines new things. Sarah Babcock, our Chief of Education and Training, works with the kids and dogs throughout the week to teach new tricks and they even learned to run through our agility course! Though the dogs also learn other fun tricks like spinning in a circle, getting in a box and even to come when called, the highlight for the campers was learning how to run through the agility course with their dog. At the end of the week, each camper and pup did a demonstration for family and friends to show off all that they have learned throughout the
week. Everyone in the audience watched as each dog scurried through tunnels, sat politley on the paws table, dashed up the a-frame, sailed through jumps and confidently strutted down the dog walk.

When asked how she enjoyed the camp, one camper happily replied, "It was awesome! I am so going to do this again next year!" We are thrilled that our campers and their canines had a wonderful week of learning and fun!

Caroline Radom is the manager of communications at the Richmond SPCA. To read the biographies of our regular bloggers, please click here. Before posting a comment, please review our comment guidelines. Please note that our comment policy requires a first and last name to be used as your screen name.

August 22, 2013

Have you ever come home at the end of a bad day and been greeted by a tail-wagging dog or a purring, leg-rubbing cat? Pets can be real mood-adjusters. And unlike fathers, mothers, spouses or children, your pet doesn’t meet you with questions, demands or instructions; just happy adoration.

I have a friend who lives alone. He had a cat who praised him at every turn – thanked my friend for lap space as he sat down to read; chatted with my friend as the two of them headed to the kitchen (and hopefully a meal!). After a long life together, the cat died and my friend mourned. After a few months I asked my lonely friend if he wanted to go to the Richmond SPCA to visit some cats – and he declined. But I’ve noticed when my friend stops by my house, he looks for my cat, who immediately rubs and sheds all over him, chirping as she does so! It’s that priceless gift of recognition and love between both of them. And I predict my friend will soon have another cat!

Buchanan has a life full of adventure with his new family.

I’d like you to count the number of times your pet gives you her gift of love. What’s that companionship worth? Could you translate that love, that attachment into a dollar amount? Multiply that amount by 365 to get a yearly-love-value a pet can give. Then write a check or pledge that amount to the Richmond SPCA so homeless cats or dogs at the Robins-Starr Humane Center can be cared for until someone is lucky enough to fall in love with them and take them home.

Making a gift online is quick and secure at https://www.richmondspca.org/donate, and setting up a recurring monthly gift to complete an annual pledge couldn't be easier. You’ll be sharing the happiness you’ve experienced. Your pet would want you to do it!

Fran Zehmer is the chair of the individual giving committee and a former member of the Richmond SPCA Board of Directors. To read the biographies of our regular bloggers, please click here. Before posting a comment, please review our comment guidelines. Please note that our comment policy requires a first and last name to be used as your screen name.

August 20, 2013

We had a wonderful week at our humane center with 101 adoptions! Our adoption counselors found loving homes for 73 cats and 28 dogs. Our goal is to find homes for 91 orphaned animals this week. You can help spread the word about our available pets and lifesaving work by "liking" and sharing our social media posts on Facebook and tumblr. You can also follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

Our adoption center is open every day of the week: Monday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Friday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday noon to 5 p.m. Visit our website to see some of our dogs and cats currently available for adoption, for directions to our Robins-Starr Humane Center, to view the programs and services we offer, and more.

Match Finder tool

If you have not seen the pet you’re looking for among the cats and dogs currently listed on our website, we recommend that you try our free Match Finder tool. This online tool is designed to help you find your new best friend by automatically emailing you when a pet matching your desired criteria is available. If you have any questions, please contact our amazing adoption team at 804-521-1307.

Offsite adoptions

In addition to having many wonderful cats at our humane center, we also have several felines at two PETCO locations in the Richmond area - Short Pump and Carytown. We also have cats available for adoption at the Children's Museum of Richmond - Chesterfield. If you would like to learn more about these felines or set up an appointment to meet them in person, please call our adoption team at 804-521-1307.

Adoption events

On Sunday, August 25 our mobile adoption vehicle, the Tail Wag’N, will be at the Wendy’s on Southpark Boulevard from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Come on out and let our adoption counselors help you meet your perfect match!

Adoption specials

Since our "Take Two" adoption promotion was so successful in July, we decided to extend it through the end of August! You can adopt any two felines for the price of one! You can view a list of our currently available cats here.

Alumni updates

Our staff and volunteers love to know what our precious adoptees are up to, so please keep us posted! If you would like to share a picture or story of your adopted pet, please send us an email. If you would like to see your pet featured on one of our social media sites, please tell us in your message that we may share your update.

August 15, 2013

If you are thinking about adopting a cat, now is the perfect time to consider taking home two furry friends! Now through the end of the month, adopters can take advantage of our “Take Two” adoption promotion. If you’re looking for double the fun and love, you can adopt any two cats or kittens for a single adoption fee! Everything is better with a buddy and there are numerous advantages of adopting two cats or providing a companion for a feline already in your home.

There are several benefits to having two cats in a household. Just like any other pet, cats require exercise, mental stimulation and social interaction. Cats have the tendency to be quite playful, curious and full of energy from kittenhood to early adulthood (at least!). A pair of kittens can play and interact in ways that a guardian cannot with a feline companion. When a cat has an opportunity to regularly exert his or her energy, he or she is less likely to engage in problematic behavior, such as destructive scratching. Kittens are able to learn appropriate social skills, play skills and behavioral cues from each other. It is not uncommon for juvenile kittens to start to test and push their boundaries as they begin to develop physically and mentally. During this exceptionally curious life stage, it is important that the guardian provide adequate supervision to keep them out of trouble. A pair of kittens can often get into less trouble than a single cat since their primary form of entertainment is one another.

The greatest perk of taking home two cats is watching the pair bond and develop a long and lasting relationship. Most felines tend to be happier when they have another four-legged friend to bond with. In 2010, Laura Palin, our Manager of Admissions, shared her experience of adding a pair of kittens to her single cat household. She notes that adding a pair of kittens was the "best decision" she ever made and encourages anyone with a single cat at home to consider adding a companion! You can read her blog post here.

Our $99 adoption fee includes the spay/neuter procedure and age-appropriate vaccinations. In addition, all pets adopted from the Richmond SPCA will be microchipped prior to adoption. The microchip is inserted under your pet’s skin and serves as a permanent form of identification. All Richmond SPCA alumni (and housemates that have been spayed or neutered) also qualify to become clients of our Clinic for Compassionate Care.

If you are interested in learning more about the cats available for adoption at our Robins-Starr Humane Center, please visit our website or contact our adoption department at 804-521-1307. Better yet, stop by our adoption center in person! New arrivals are made available for adoption daily, so visit us and let our adoption counselors help you meet the pair of felines who are just right for you and your family. Our adoption center is open every day of the week: Monday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Friday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday noon to 5 p.m.

Alison Carlin is the coordinator of community relations at the Richmond SPCA. To read the biographies of our regular bloggers, please click here. Before posting a comment, please review our comment guidelines. Please note that our comment policy requires a first and last name to be used as your screen name.

August 13, 2013

We had a wonderful week at our humane center with 59 adoptions! Our adoption counselors found loving homes for 39 cats and 20 dogs. Our goal is to find homes for 93 orphaned animals this week. You can help spread the word about our available pets and lifesaving work by "liking" and sharing our social media posts on Facebook and tumblr. You can also follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

Armstrong, a 5-year-old flat-coated retriever mix, found a loving home after making his television debut on NBC12's News at Noon. Brandy, a 5-year-old chihuahua mix, was adopted after visiting our friends at CBS6.

Interested in adopting a pet from the Richmond SPCA?

Our adoption center is open every day of the week: Monday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Friday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday noon to 5 p.m. Visit our website to see some of our dogs and cats currently available for adoption, for directions to our Robins-Starr Humane Center, to view the programs and services we offer, and more.

Match Finder tool

If you have not seen the pet you’re looking for among the cats and dogs currently listed on our website, we recommend that you try our free Match Finder tool. This online tool is designed to help you find your new best friend by automatically emailing you when a pet matching your desired criteria is available. If you have any questions, please contact our amazing adoption team at 804-521-1307.

Offsite adoptions

In addition to having many wonderful cats at our humane center, we also have several felines at two PETCO locations in the Richmond area - Short Pump and Carytown. We also have cats available for adoption at the Children's Museum of Richmond - Chesterfield. If you would like to learn more about these felines or set up an appointment to meet them in person, please call our adoption team at 804-521-1307.

Adoption specials

Since our "Take Two" adoption promotion was so successful in July, we decided to extend it through the end of August! You can adopt any two felines for the price of one! You can view a list of our currently available cats here.

Alumni updates

Our staff and volunteers love to know what our precious adoptees are up to, so please keep us posted! If you would like to share a picture or story of your adopted pet, please send us an email. If you would like to see your pet featured on one of our social media sites, please tell us in your message that we may share your update.

August 09, 2013

Even though we haven't had Gunther that long he has truly become a part of our family. His personality has really come out since we adopted him and we love it! We weren't expecting to fall in love and adopt that day, but once we met Gunther, we knew he had to be a part of our lives!

He's adapting well to apartment life (how could he not when he has his own room and two beds to sleep on) and is loving all the attention he gets from us and his "fan club."

Yep, he has a fan club. We know he was quite popular at the Richmond SPCA (I'm sure because of his history with you guys), but he is also quite popular at Clear Channel where his dad works. When people find out he's in the office, they'll come and see him and he loves being the center of attention. Since they are dog friendly he gets to visit often, and even stays to work a few hours. We're working on getting him on air, but he did make the website for XL 102!

When he's not working, Gunther loves to go on walks (and boy does the beagle in him come out on those walks) and he gets to visit his grandparents, his uncle and furry relatives all the time, and they love to come visit him too. He is also a great car rider (at least for short trips).

His favorite toy is a squeaky tennis ball and we're working on figuring what commands he does know.

Because Gunther was adopted into a social media loving family, he had to get a twitter account to keep all his fans and relatives updated on what's he doing. You can find him at https://twitter.com/ItsGuntherrr

Though sharing his story, we want people to know that just because an animal was returned doesn't always mean something is wrong with the animal. They just might not have found their family yet!

Today's guest post was written by Rochelle, one of Gunther's adopters. To read the biographies of our regular bloggers, please click here. Before posting a comment, please review our comment guidelines. Please note that our comment policy requires a first and last name to be used as your screen name.

August 06, 2013

We had a successful week at our humane center with 87 adoptions! Our wonderful adoption counselors found loving families for 55 cats and 32 dogs. Our goal is to find homes for 88 orphaned animals this week. You can help spread the word about our available pets and lifesaving work by "liking" and sharing our social media posts on Facebook and tumblr. You can also follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

Goofy, a 4-month-old tabby, was adopted by a loving family after visiting our friends at NBC12. Emily, a 2-month-old domestic short hair mix, found a home after being featured on a Paws for Pets segment on CBS 6.

Chewy, a 1.5-year-old shepherd/flat-coated retriever mix, was adopted after making his television debut on 8News. Conan, Kimmel and Letterman, 2-month-old collie mixes, found loving homes after being featured on our Facebook page.

Interested in adopting a pet from the Richmond SPCA?

Our adoption center is open every day of the week: Monday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Friday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday noon to 5 p.m. Visit our website to see some of our dogs and cats currently available for adoption, for directions to our Robins-Starr Humane Center, to view the programs and services we offer, and more.

Match Finder tool

If you have not seen the pet you’re looking for among the cats and dogs currently listed on our website, we recommend that you try our free Match Finder tool. This online tool is designed to help you find your new best friend by automatically emailing you when a pet matching your desired criteria is available. If you have any questions, please contact our amazing adoption team at 804-521-1307.

Adoption events

On Friday, August 9 our mobile adoption vehicle, the Tail Wag’N, will be at James River Cellars for Friday’s on the Patio from 6:30-9 p.m. Event attendees are encouraged to meet our available pets and may adopt them offsite. You can learn more about this event here.

The 30th Annual Carytown Watermelon Festival will be held on Sunday, August 11 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. This event has become the largest one day festival in the state and includes activities for the whole family, including a visit from our Tail Wag’N! Our adoption counselors will be at the event for the duration of the festival and will be thrilled to help you and your family meet your perfect match. You can learn more about this annual event here.

Offsite adoptions

In addition to having many wonderful cats at our humane center, we also have several felines at two PETCO locations in the Richmond area - Short Pump and Carytown. We also have cats available for adoption at the Children's Museum of Richmond - Chesterfield. If you would like to learn more about these felines or set up an appointment to meet them in person, please call our adoption team at 804-521-1307.

Adoption specials

Now through Friday, August 9 we will have a "Dog Days of Summer" adoption promotion. All adult dogs - that's dogs 6 months and older - will have their adoption fees reduced by 25 percent.

Since our "Take Two" adoption promotion was so successful in July, we decided to extend it through the end of August! You can adopt any two felines for the price of one! You can view a list of our currently available cats here.

Alumni updates

Our staff and volunteers love to know what our precious adoptees are up to, so please keep us posted! If you would like to share a picture or story of your adopted pet, please send us an email. If you would like to see your pet featured on one of our social media sites, please tell us in your message that we may share your update.